Polarized relay construction



April 22, 1952 w. K. SONNEMANN ETAL 2,594,088

POLARIZED RELAY CONSTRUCTION Filed May 5, 1950 O O F|g.l.

I 'fi K L I l i WITNESSES:

INVENTORS William K. Sonnemonn and Kolman Riesz. 6; hu y ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1952 POLARIZED RELAY CONSTRUCTION William K. Sonnemann, Roselle Park, and Kolman Riesz, Gillette, N. J assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 5, 1950, Serial No. 160,164

3 Claims. (01. 175-339) our invention relates to constructional features of a type of polarized relay which, except for the improved features, has been known and used for some time;

L The principal object of our invention is to provide an improved structural means for adjusting the gaps or magnetic reluctance of the two magnetic shunt-paths at the rear end of the relay, that is, at the end opposite to the front end which carries the contacts.

More specifically, it is an object of our invention to provide two magnetizable screws, which respectively bridge, or partially bridge, the gap between the central block at the rear end of the armature-core, and the rear ends of the two sides of the frame, respectively. We also provide a bent leaf-spring, the ends of which press against the sides of the respective magnetizable adjusting-screws, so that. after an adjustment has been,made, by turning one or both of the screws in or out, the friction of the spring-pressure will sufiice to lock the screws in place, Without necessitating the use of a locking means which has to be tightenedupafter each adjustment, and in the very act of tightening, spoiling the adjustment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view,

our invention consists in the systems, combinations, apparatus, parts, and methods of design and operation, hereafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved rear end of a polarized relay in accordance with our invention, and

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the relay.

' ,5. i TI i windings, such as an operatingwinding O, and a restraining winding R, or anyother suitable exciting-means. The armature-core i 13 carries. a flexible magnetizable leaf-spring contact-member I4, which is movable between fixed-contacts I '5 and i6 which are suitably secured to the front ends of the respective side-pieces 3 and 4.

The construction which has been specifically described thus far, with reference to the drawing, is an old structure. It operates by having the flux of the permanent magnet H pass partly across the front air-gap l0, within which the contact-spring l4 plays, while another part of the flux is shunted into the rear central piece 5, and thence into the armature-core l3, so that this core has a magnetic-potential intermediate between the positive and negative poles of the permanent magnet, this intermediate-potential being closer to the'onepolarity' or the other, depending upon the relativereluctancesof thejtwo rear-end air-gaps ats6 and 1,. respectively.

In order to be able to adjust the polari edrelay, by determining how much, andwhat polarity of, polarizing flux reaches the armature-core l3,-it is necessary to provide means for adjusting the relative flux-leakage paths across-the two rear,- end air-gaps at 6 and 1, respectively. Then the relay Will be properly sensitive to the direction of the effective ampere-turns of the coil or coils which are wound on the central core l3, so as 'to move the contact Hi to either the right or the left, as may be required. The rear-end magnetic Our illustrated relay is in the form of a three- 1 piece magnetizable frame, consisting of two U- shaped magnetizable side-pieces 3 and 4, and a central rear-end magnetizable block 5. The rear legs of the magnetizable side pieces 3 and 4 are permanently connected to the respective ends or sides of the central rear magnetizable block 5, by means of two short lengths 6 and I, of brass or other non-magnetic tubing, thus providing two rear-end gaps at '5 and l. The front legs of the two magnetizable side-pieces 3 and 4 terminate in poles 8 and 9, which are separated by a gap l 8. At an intermediate point in the bights of the U-shaped magnetizable side-pieces 3 and 4, is secured a permanent magnet II, which makes one of the side-pieces a north pole and the other one a south pole. Centrally secured to the central rear magnetizable block 5 is an inwardly projecting magnetizable armature-core or inner polepiece I 3, which is surrounded by one or more shunts are needed also in orderto controI the strength of the front poles 8 and s ot the relay, so as to control the pick-up and drop-out points of the relay.

According to our present invention, a new. simple, reliable rear-end magnetic shunt is provided, including two magnetizable steel screws 23 and 24, which pass inwardly through drilled holes in the rear-end legs of the side-pieces 3 and 4, one screw for each side-piece. The adjustmentscrews 23 and 24 are screwed in until their inner ends come within the rear-end gaps which are provided by the non-magnetizable spacers 6 and I, so as to magnetically bridge these spacers to a greater or less extent. The inner ends of the screws 23 and 24 may be beveled to facilitate fine air-gap adjustments, as indicated at 25. The central block 5 is also preferably drilled and tapped, as indicated at 26, to receive the inner ends of the magnetizable screws 23 and 24, so that these magnetizable screws may be turned in until they enter this central magnetizable block 5 to a greater or less extent, as may be desired.

It is an important feature of our invention 3 that we provide the magnetizable shunt-screws 23 and 24 with a suitable looking or holdingmeans for holding the screws in adjustment, without at the same time throwing the rear-end magnetic shunts out of adjustment, as a result of a tightening of the holding-means, as was the case in previous constructions. Our new holdingmeans is in the form of a preferably non-magnetizable locking-spring 21, the middle of which is secured to the side of the central block 5, as shown at 28. The ends of the locking-spring 21 are bent inwardly, as shown at 33 and 34, to bear against the shanks of the respective shuntscrews 23 and 24. The lengths of the inwardly bent ends 33 and 34 are sufilcient to flex the central portion of the spring 21, so that the spring-ends will frictionally engage the shanks of the shunt-screws 23 and 24, permitting said screws to be turned, for the purpose of effecting an adjustment of the rear-end magnetic shunts at the points 6 and 1-, respectively, and thereafter frictionally holding the shunt-screws in their adjustment, without disturbing the central fastening-means 28 for thesetting-spring 2'1.

Itwill thus be seen that we have provided an extremely simple and trouble-proof rear-end shunting-means for the magnetic flux, so that as much or as little of the magnetic flux of the permanent magnet I I, as may be desired, may be shunted 'or by-passed away from the front poles 8 and '9, thus controlling the field-strength of these front poles. At the same time, a fine ad- Justment may be made in regard to the relative amounts of the rear-end fluxes which are cartied,- by the respective shunt-screws 23 and 24, :trcm the rear legs of the magnetizable side pieces 3 and 4-, respectively, to the central magnetizable block; 5, thus controlling the polarity and the field-strength oi the central pole, or armature-core 13 which carries the magnetizable spring-contact member '14.

Whilewe have illustrated our invention in a single form of embodiment, which is at present preferred, we wish it to be understood that we are not altogether limited to this particular form, esvarious changes may be :made, in the way of substituting equivalents or modified structures, or adding or subtracting parts, without departing trcm the essential object of our invention. We desire, therefore, that the appended claims shall be accorded the broadest construction consistent with their, language.

We "claim asour invention:

1. A polarized electromagnet-structure comprising: a threepiece magnetizable frame, consisting of two magnetizable side-pieces, a central rear-end magnetizable block, and non-magnetic spacers permanently connected between the block and the rear ends of the respective side-pieces so as to provide fixed rear-end gaps, the front ends of said side-pieces terminating in inwardly facing pole-pieces separated by a gap; a permanent magnet bridging across the side-pieces at an intermediate point thereof; an inwardly projecting fixed magnetizable armature-core ex:- tending forwardly from the approximate center of said rear-end block; a fiexible magnetizable leaf-spring response-member carried by said armature-core and extendingthrough the gap between said pole-pieces; electricl excitingwoil means mounted in operative relation to said armature-core; and two magnetizable adjustmerit-screws passing inwardlyethrough the rear ends of the respective side-pieces, and for an adjustable distance across the respective rearend gaps. 1

2. The invention as defined in claim 1, characterized by said adjustment-screws also extending for an adjustable distance intd'said rear-rend block.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1, in combination with a locking-spring, and means for securing the middle of the locking spring to the side of the rear-end block, the ends of the locking-spring being bent into frictional abutment with the shanks of the respective adjustmentscrews.

K. SONNEMANN. KOLMAN RIESZ.

REFERENCES CIT-EB The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,322,097 Dunham Nov. 18., 1919 1,593,582 Leo July 27, 192.6 1,680,667 Curtis Aug. 14, 1923 1,875,664 Schlage Sept. 6., .1932 1,920,818 Verrall Aug. 1, 1933 1,975,652 Blosser Oct. 2, 1934 2,057,605 Blosser Oct. 13, 1936 2,074,084 'Ellestad Mar. 16, 1937 2,140,139 Pratt Dec; 13 1938 2,511,114 Lavery June 13, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 728,982 France July 16., 1932 

